Did you ever look at the back of a DVD player, satellite or cable receiver, or that vintage VCR you still use, and wonder whether you should use the composite video outputs/inputs or the funny-looking, round S-Video connectors? You’re not alone. We get asked that question a lot (even in these days of HDMI and DVI connections) because lots of people wonder the same thing.

The answer is that you should always use the S-Video connector. That’s because S-Video (which stands for separate video, not “super video” as most people have always believed) carries the signal in two separate signals, one for luminance and one for color, while composite video combines all of the information on one signal and requires a “separation” process before the video can actually be played. This leads to lower quality picture with less detail and poorer color reproduction when using the composite outputs and inputs, compared to the video signal which comes from the S-video connector and is carried along a true 75-ohm S-video cable.

Why are we telling you this? It’s because most components with composite outputs also have S-Video outputs which could provide better video quality – but most people don’t have extra S-Video cables just lying around. Guess who has plenty of them?

Our Cmple S-video cables are meticulously designed to provide outstanding video quality from source to monitor. They’re fully shielded for low signal loss, and made with two separate 95% shielded, spiral-wound inner conductors, with their center conductors made from high-quality 28 gauge stranded copper. These cables are fully molded with flexible yet strong black PVC jackets, and the male 4-contact mini-din plugs on each end are gold-plated in order to provide a solid connection with no signal loss at the plugs and no corrosion over the long run. They’re a full 6 feet in length, so there’s virtually no limit to where you can bring a video signal in your living room, bedroom or home theater.

If you’re installing a brand-new, state-of-the-art home theater system, you probably won’t have much need for these S-Video cables, because they’ve been superseded by more advanced types of connections like the HDMI cables commonly used with high-definition televisions. We’ll just about guarantee, though, that if you have an HDTV or monitor that’s a bit older, a satellite box, a VCR or DVD player, or a camcorder – or any number of other types of components which have been around for a little while – you’ve got them connected together with composite RCA-style cables. Do yourself a favor, spend a couple of dollars, and try one of our Cmple S-VHS cables instead. You’ll be shocked at the difference in picture quality.